


Desire's Flame

by Squid_Ink



Series: The Fiery Templar and the Fearless Assassin [14]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: F/M, OC centric, OC/Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 11:31:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8054647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squid_Ink/pseuds/Squid_Ink
Summary: Leon, the adoptive son of Arno and Elise, shares a deep desire for their daughter, Charlotte. Will she return his feelings or not?





	Desire's Flame

Julien looked up from his sketch book when his sister barged into the room. He noted she was wearing their mother's Templar pendant before going back to his drawing book. "What do you want Charlotte?"

"What are you doing?" Charlotte asked, gliding across the floor to him and leaning over his shoulder, purposely getting into his light.

"You're in my light, Charlie," Julien grumbled. Charlotte smirked. Julien sighed, sticking his pencil between the pages and closing the book. "I _was_ drawing," he said.

"What were you drawing?" Charlotte asked. "Naked women?"

Julien flushed. "That's none of your business," the fifteen-year-old boy said. Charlotte laughed, clapping her hands in her mirth. "Papa says Léon is coming home tonight," Julien said, smirking when his sister instantly sobered.

"He is?" Charlotte asked, her voice a bit higher than she intended. Julien nodded slowly, the smirk widening across his face. "Did… Did Papa say when Léon is expected?"

"I wonder what Raphaël would think if he knew you liked Léon," Julien teased.

"I _don't like_ Léon," Charlotte hissed, her cheeks turning pink. Julien snickered.

"Of course not," he agreed, "you _love_ him."

"I don't love him, Julien!" Charlotte hissed. Julien arched his brow, a knowing smirk on his face. "I don't!" Charlotte insisted.

Julien cleared his throat with a little cough. " _Papa when is Léon coming home? Papa must you_ really _send Léon all the way to Venice? Papa do you think Léon brought me back a present? Mama what do you think of this dress, will Léon like it? Mama can I show Léon that_ _—_ "

"I don't sound like that!" Charlotte screeched grabbing for her brother, but Julien twisted free of her grip and gave his sister a mocking little bow.

"Yes you do," Julien said. "You pine after him when he's gone and then when he is here, you ignore him."

"I don't ignore him," Charlotte said. "And I don't pine."

"Uh-huh," Julien pulled out folded piece of paper from his pocket, " _Léon, I simply cannot bear this separation. My heart aches for you, I long to see your smile, the dimples in your cheeks and your_ _—_ "

"Give me that!" Charlotte screeched, snatching the paper from her brother. Her jaw dropped when she realized it was blank. "You little cheat!" Charlotte hissed. Julien grinned before bolting. Charlotte ran after him.

Julien slid down the railing and landed with a little job on the bottom floor. To his right was the hustle and bustle of the café, to his left were his parents' studies. He glanced up at the top floor and saw his sister. "Better hide," Julien muttered to himself and slipped into the thong of people.

Charlotte trotted down the stairs, glancing about for her brother. "Charlie!" a voice called to her. Charlotte turned to see Jacques.

"Jacques, have you seen where Julien went?" Charlotte asked. Jacques swallowed as a blushed colored his cheeks.

"No, I haven't," Jacques said. "H-How did your Templar initiation ceremony go?"

"Fine," Charlotte said, a proud smile gracing her lips. "Mama said I was wonderful and that everyone was honored to welcome the daughter of the Grand Master into the Order."

"Is she grooming you to be Grand Master?" Jacques asked. Charlotte wrinkled her nose.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked. "Do you plan to run and tell my father?"

"N-No," Jacques shook his head. "No, it's just—"

"There you are Charlotte," Arno said, walking up to his daughter. "I have news you'd be eager to hear."

"I already know Léon is coming home this evening, Papa," Charlotte said, a smile on her lips. "Julien told me, have you seen him?"

"No, I haven't," Arno said. Charlotte frowned. "You know you need to give Léon an answer."

"I will give him an answer when I'm ready," Charlotte hissed. "I'm twenty."

"Yes, and he's been waiting three years," Arno said.

"My heart is my own, Papa, as is my choice of husband," Charlotte hissed before walking off. Arno blinked, before chuckling softly.

"She is so much like her mother," Arno whispered.

* * *

Charlotte stopped playing the harpsichord, the wrong note quivering jarringly in the air. "I know you're there," she growled, flicking her blue-green eyes up at the shadows. The figure stepped out of them, a cock-sure smile on his lips. Charlotte's eyes grew wide when she saw him. "Léon!" she shouted, getting up and running over to him. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I wasn't expecting you until the evening! How long have you been here?"

"Not long," Léon said, holding Charlotte's hands and kissing them affectionately. "You look beautiful."

Charlotte blushed. "Thank you," she whispered, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. "How was your trip?"

"Well, I accomplished what I set out to do," Léon said, tracing her throat down to her collarbone and lightly touching the red cross pendant at her throat. "I see you've chosen your side. Élise must be pleased."

"She is," Charlotte said, "Papa was a bit… disappointed." Charlotte flicked her eyes up to Léon. "Have you spoken with Mama and Papa?"

"Not yet," Léon said, he grabbed her hands again. "I wanted to see you first." Charlotte blushed at his words. "You play beautifully."

"Mama insisted I learn," Charlotte said, "she said that while the majority of my lessons may be history and mathematics, I should still learn music, dance and needlework. She said, sometimes the best disguise is the simplest one."

"Wise words," Léon said, "Assassins are taught to hide in plain sight, seen yet unseen."

"I think she took a leaf from Papa's book then," Charlotte grinned. "So did you bring me a present?" she asked, the girlish excitement of her youth bubbling up. Léon chuckled.

"I did," he said and pulled from his pocket a small box. "Here, open it," he said, handing the item over to Charlotte. She grinned, muttering a soft thank you before opening it. She gasped.

"Pearls," she breathed, "I love pearls… Papa gave me some pearl earrings when I was fifteen. They are my favorite."

"Bahraini sweet water pearls," Léon said, taking the rope from her hands and putting it on her neck. Charlotte lifted her hair to allow him to clasp it at her nape.

"These must've coast a fortune," Charlotte said.

"Only a small one," Léon teased. "Beautiful," he told her. Charlotte blushed. "I'm sure Raphaël will be pleased to see you bedecked in pearls and fine jewels from exotic lands."

Charlotte flushed. "Raphaël is… kind," she said, choosing her words with care. "But then again he's kind to any pretty girl of good breeding."

"And Templar," Léon quipped. Charlotte snorted, tracing the pearls at her throat.

"I expect you want an answer in exchange for this lovely gift," Charlotte said, her voice terse. "Papa reminded me."

"You'll give me an answer when you're ready," Léon said with a little shrug, before inspecting the hidden blade at his wrist. "I've waited this long, I can wait longer."

"You're eleven years my senior," Charlotte whispered.

"The heart cares not about age," Léon said, "besides there have been matches with greater disparity in age."

"You're an Assassin, I'm a Templar," Charlotte said.

"Your parents," Léon said, circling her. "Maria Thorpe and Altaïr ibn La'Ahad? I can name more."

"We were raised together… as siblings."

"You know I always had trouble view you and Julien as my siblings," Léon said, touching her shoulder lightly as he walked behind her. "Especially you."

"Jacques likes me," Charlotte said, "as does Raphaël."

"Didn't Napoleon predict you'd break hearts?" Léon asked. "Do you even like them?"

"Jacques has been my friend since childhood. Raphaël has… well," Charlotte blushed, "I can't really say we're courting, since Papa loathes him and Mama is suspicious of his father."

"You're running out of excuses, Charlie," Léon purred in her ear.

"How long can you wait? It's been three years," Charlotte asked.

"As long as I need to," Léon replied, smiling, "long enough for you to realize you've ran out of excuses."

"My heart is my own," Charlotte declared, "as is my choice of husband."

"You know I'll accept whatever answer you give me," Léon said.

"Why do I have to give you an answer? What if I choose to remain silent and let you wait?" Charlotte asked.

"You'll give me an answer," Léon said with a little shrug, "sooner or later. I'm patient."

"You enjoy this game," Charlotte hissed. Léon smiled. "Don't you?"

"I admit, you have a clever tongue and a sharp wit. I do enjoy seeing you think your way around my questions," Léon said, "but tell me Charlotte, when did you stop seeing me as the doting older brother?"

Charlotte bowed her head, as a blushed colored her cheeks. "Fifteen… sixteen maybe. Whenever you gave me that book of Greek myths," Charlotte said, looking up at him. "It was in Greek, and when I bemoaned that fact to Mama, she told me that it'll be good practice for me to translate it. I think I wrote you a letter in Greek as punishment."

Léon laughed. Charlotte found that the sound sent shivers down her spine. "I remember that letter," Léon said. "It took me an hour to translate it. Your command of Greek is dreadful."

Charlotte smirked. "Then I was smart to send you a letter in Greek."

"You are a sharp one," Léon said, "I'll give you that Charlotte Dorian."

"Careful now," Charlotte said, putting her hand on Léon's shoulder, "that you don't cut yourself Léon de la Serre. Even the prettiest roses have their thorns."

"And it's because of those thorns that those pretty roses are worth plucking," Léon said, pulling Charlotte close to him. "Come now Charlotte," Léon said, pressing his cheek against hers. "Let's cease this senseless dance. You and I both know there is desire between us."

Charlotte kissed him then, longing and soulful. She pulled away and stared into his grey eyes. "Aw, Léon," she whispered, "then what fun would we have without this dance between us?"

**Author's Note:**

> Assassin's Creed (c) Ubisoft 
> 
> Originally planning the dynamics between Léon, Charlotte and Julien, I was leaning towards that Léon has feelings for Charlotte but Charlotte never returns them and Léon just quietly accepts it and is kinda like her guardian protector.  
> While Arno and Élise did their best to raise Léon in such a way that he would feel like he is a member of the family, he was nine (according to my headcanon), and was very aware that he wasn’t their biological child (he never refers to them as his parents or when speaking with Charlotte and/or Julien as “our parents”). Regardless, he does love Arno and Élise, Charlotte and Julien. They are the family he always wanted.  
> Charlotte’s original romantic elements were originally Jacques and Raphaël. Jacques has an unrequited crush on her, while Charlotte and Raphaël’s relationship is still this strange friendship with a dash of romance. Originally, Charlotte only ever saw Léon as a brother. Then I wrote another oneshot where all Charlotte could babble about was Léon and how she missed him and if he brought her a present from Berlin (read Mystery of Life), and that’s when I realized that maybe Charlotte could have a romance between her and Léon.  
> I haven’t decided if I’ll keep this idea or trash it. But for now, it’s intriguing. There is an eleven-year age gap between her and Léon, but people ship Shay and Aveline (weird) and there’s a sixteen-year age gap between them.  
> As for Léon’s family name, Ubisoft didn’t give him one, so at the time that Élise and Arno adopted him, they weren’t married so they said he could choose between Dorian and de la Serre. He chose de la Serre for his surname.  
> Charlotte is 20.   
> Yes, this is the same Leon from Franciade, he's all grown up. Yes, this is tied into the plotline of United We Stand. For United We Stand followers, Leon chose to have Elise's surname of de la Serre as his own. 
> 
>  
> 
> Save an author; leave a review


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